Week 57

http://easter.mormon.org/

FIRST OFF..... EVERYONE NEEDS TO WATCH THIS! 

Hello everyone again,

I hoped you all had an amazing Easter Weekend. Ours was pretty great as well! And... I little bit weird. So, the Philippines is very... Catholic! And very rooted in the "traditions of their fathers". They celebrate Holy Week like a fiesta mixed with some weird stuff. They want to make it real. As in reenactments. People will lacerate themselves, and crucify themselves. It's morbid. Luckily in my area, we don’t have that! Hahah, but we do have the Journey to Calvary. People will take the same journey as Him and talk to priests at each of the 12 points that He fell and say prayers. "Traditions of their fathers." Hahah, so on Good Friday we were asked to stay inside away from the crazies... OR, go to the church and watch movies! We chose the latter :) and it was amazing! On the Lords Errand, Joseph Smith Prophet of the Restoration, Legacy, and some good old cheesy ones :) it was great time! But kinda hard to see how the people here only SIMBA(worship) Him for one week in the year... whereas we do every Sunday.

This Sunday especially. Celebrating His resurrection. HIs Love. His Example. And just how much he cares for each and every one of us. We walked into the chapel... and none of our investigators were there. We waited. Service started. No one. We felt low. Where are they?? The Dusena Family... our elect Family that will never give up the church. I swear I prayed so hard in the opening song! And then through the window and pouring rain.... THERE THEY WERE! Gah, I love them so much! They have such strong faith and even refer to themselves as members already :) I love them. During sacrament I read all the stories of Christ’s resurrection... none is better than John. When he describes the pain that Mary of Magdalene and the sobs she cried out at the missing Savior.... Then the instant love and comfort He gives her. "Master." I love it. The Savior is truly the greatest example for us all. Especially how we can become perfected just like He. I know His Atonement is real and that through it we can all be reunited with our loved ones again and enjoy the rich blessings of eternal life.

I hope you all enjoyed this great Easter Sunday as I did :) I love you all and hey, share the video! LET THE WORLD KNOW HE LIVES!!

SISTER BRAY

Week 56

We're gonna talk about a little thing called patience right now. ITs not really little it’s actually BIG! as in BIG-E smalls big... Patience is something we need every second of every day. and is everyone's "favorite" christlike attribute. I have worked my patience to the very brim this week, along with the whole zone! Hahaha, it’s been a rather crazy week... we'll start from the beginning....

So this week it started off with rain.. and lots of it. As of now our house has flooded 6 times. This morning was 2 of those. in the span of 4 hours, the house flooded twice! See, the drain pipe outside, literally leads to the inside of our laundry room..ergo FLOOD! It’s been wonderful. The first time happened the day of Zone training Meeting... we were late obviously. As we got there, we found out that the Elders apartment has not had water for two days... they had not showered. After the meeting started... brown out! No Air con... great! The rain increased louder and louder and in all the hectic nonsense that was going on..... we learned. I will be honest I have never learned so much by the spirit in any other meeting I have attended here on my mission! It was incredible! Elder Murdock shared something that will stick forever.. "To the world Yolanda was a tragedy, but to PTM it was a miracle." -ALMA 57:25-27.

Carrying on with our week.... we headed down to Tacloban for a Conference meeting..5 hr. drive in a van that goes at least 70mph on every sharp turn... the best! get to do it again next week! and guess what EACH training was on.... PATIENCE! As the week got close to conference coming, we got more and more excited! And then we found out we had a scheduled brown out. We would have to wait until 7pm to actually begin to watch it! again patience was tried! But we all held our cool!

Conference was amazing! I loved it! Especially Bishop Stevenson’s about the Four minutes we have here... we gotta live it up! And when I say that, I do not mean as in party all day party all night. I mean UP as in higher holier state UP! We gotta work to get our exaltation, not just get it as a golden star for trying... this is not little league try-outs but the Olympic Finals! We gotta work hard, pray hard and be working our whole lives, just as these athletes for our eternal medals- our eternal homes with our Father again.

But from all this leering and hardships of patience come the blessings.....We were blessed to witness 5 investigators attend general conference. WE are blessed to at least have a home to go home to each day. We are blessed that we were able to see President and Sister Andaya this last week! I know this letter may sound like a big Debby Downer on how the Lord is trying to help me learn as well as the Zone, but I there is a blessing to every trial! 

Patience was tried again while writing this... 6 brown outs just occurred(I speak English... really I do). SO I hope that this will send out to all of you... Please know I love you all always and hope this week will be just as amazing for all of you! 

SISTER BRAY

Sooo we had FHE at the Canete fam last week... I lost the game and so did Maylyn... so we had punishment.... 

I sang JUST GIVE ME A REASON mixed with  THIS GIRL IS ON FIRE while she danced... PASAWAY HI SISTER BRAY :) 

After the FHE we gotta hitch a ride on the back of an ACTUAL MASSIVE Construction truck... all the guys here do it and it has been MY DREAM! so I can now check that off the BUCKET LIST :)

We did not have our Payongs with us... and we got attacked by a massive wall of rain on the way home... it was pretty funny

This is how we drove to Tacbloban...  hahah :)

Week 55

Hi Hello everybody!

Well Borongan has been preeeeetty sweet! Me and Sister Ralph can already tell how much we will learn this cycle. From the area and from each other! So, if it is awkward that we are excited to be punted all the time and work our bums off... than yes, we are awkward :) 

We got some amazing new investigators this week! The Canete Family! WE LOVE THEM! We are actually doing FHE later tonight there to celebrate brothers birthday! Whoop WHOOP!! They are awesome.... but also a little bit awkward! So in like our second lesson with them this week.... they pull out their phones..... and start taking pictures of us while we are teaching! Hahah, two white girls in the Philippines is quite the sight :) hahah, so we had a lot of fun with that game! I made some funny faces now and then and then we asked them to put them away :) we took pictures after! Hahah, while we were walking through the rice field on the way back (ya... you can jealous), we were just cracking about how awkward our lives are here... Hence, "Let's not make this awkward" even though it is the story of my life! Poor Sister Ralph has too hear me say over and over again, "Gah, why am I so awkward?!?" Hahah, I can tell she secretly loves it though :)

I am super excited for Conference! We get to watch it this weekend! Daw(word on the street) there is a bunch of PTM stuff on it and all that jazz! Can’t wait to see how it is! Thank you all for not absolutely ruining it for me though :) I emailed Sister Becerra about President becoming a member of the 70 though, can’t wait to hear back from her :)

Well, I love you all tons and I am so happy that y'all had a great conference weekend! Keep it fresh and real homiez!

SISTER BRAY 

that other picture just made me laugh super hard... So we took pictures of the moment :)

Week 54

Hey y'all...

So I got transferred this week... Legit, right as I figure out why I
came back to Catarman.. God is a funny guy! But I trust the Sisters
that are coming in that they will take great care of Kim and everybody
else over there! They are going to be STLs over there..

So... I got transferred over to Borongan! It’s in Eastern Samar. I am
now back to Waray H... It's really hard! But gotta carry on! MY
Companion is Sister Ralph from good ol' Seattle(s/o to Macklemore).
She is a family of 10... ya their Mormon :) hahah. We are serving in a
branch over here... but it actually should be a ward. Something is
seriously wrong here because there are 8 missionaries in this ward!
That is like something in America.. that don’t happen here in the
Pines! Hahah, so ya, I witnessed some of the problems here within the
first couple days Hahah, it’s a lot of people getting offended by other
members and leaders... so we have some inactive members, not enough
priesthood leaders, and ya... But some of our investigators are pretty
cool. One of them is like a philosopher type deal. He asks like weird
questions and stuff, but I like answering them. I think that has been
my favorite part of the mission is showing people how the restored
gospel/ bom/ all of it has answers to their questions! I LOVE IT!

I hope y'all are doin good and stayin good! Remember that y'all are
loved and that y'all are awesome!

SISTER BRAY

Week 53

hi hello everybody!

This week was.. better-ish! Umm, still trying to help Sister Miguel be obedient and such... A member shared with me that it is not just her mission life she is throwing away with her disobedience but her eternal life. So hopefully from how all this is going, she will make the change. 

This week though I was able to recognize so many more blessings... one of them being why I needed to come back. Before the storm I had an investigator. She welcomed us into her home because her neighbor who was our investigator was not home. She was super willing to listen to what we had to share and loved it, but there was just something missing. When we came back I immediately went back to see her. Her name is Kim and she is 17. We were talking about the Plan of Salvation and ended off at the 3 kingdoms. She had a break so we weren’t able to go back and see her for a while, but when we did and shared with her and her brother about the 3 kingdoms they said they want to go there! :) The next time we came by she had a question, and one that I love.... "Kaynanu may damu nga mga simbahan? -Why are there so many churches?" We came and shared how Christ built His church and because when he and his apostles died the authority and true church left the earth. She was like, "it all makes sense!... but then where is the true church now?" AGAIN! great question! And she could tell how happy it made me to hear her questions. She said that she has a friend name Glese.... the FIRST WARDS INVESTIGATOR! She told her to ask the missionaries that were teaching her and it would all make sense.... and she told her she needs to get baptized! WOOOOoooo HOooooo! She shared us this and how she wants to come to church! So she was planning on it, but her father was drunk, so she needed to watch him. Glese told us at church. Kim texted us that evening and said how sorry she was that she couldn’t come and how she wanted to so bad! She hasn’t come to church at all yet and this would have been her first time... Heavenly Father has a great plan for Kim I know it! She will do so many great things for so many people! Especially her family! IT could not have been a greater blessing to hear her open up with us and share all that Glese had told her, how it paved the way for her to finally come. GAH! I love missionary work!! It is the greatest! Seriously I know why I needed to come back now... Kim needed me, she was ready! :)

I love you guys so much and hope y'all had a great week!

here is a pic of the BOM that I talked about in last week’s email :)

Week 52

So. The adventures of sister Bray this week...WE will go as so-

-There was a fire and a blessing

- I got to spend my "BIRTHDAY" with my MTC comp SISTER HOGGE

-I fell through a house

   and I think that is about it so far. I will send pictures! but one will be missing...I forgot my other card, so next week I will send the PIC picture

SO story number one... We had finished our district meeting and we just see black smoke.. coming from what seems like our stake presidents house! So we head over immediately! There is a fire but at another house. We just start asking what happened, who is it, all that... Story short, the first ward sisters actually met the family the week before. After we had left they were talking to them and find out everything was destroyed. Either from the Fire or the water. All but one thing.... A AKLAT NI MORMON! Intact! No burns, no water damage, anything! That is the epic pic I forgot... SO next week I will send it! The other pictures are of the kids playing on the truck and someone on the roof having to put the fire out with buckets... sad right?

Next story, I got to go on exchanges with Sister Hogge this week! And on a very special day :) BIRTHDAY PARTY! It was so much fun to be with her again! I will send a picture :)

Number three.... So, WE had finished a lesson with our less active member Sheryl Pancho. We are leaving and I had to climb over a gate thing that keeps the little tykes in. I hear the floor creak.. I think to myself, "Oh that would be hilarious if I just fell through this." It wasn't hilarious. It was gross. I fell through the floor and my foot just landed in all this basura(trash... but mushy wet and gross black stuff too) Yup. Hahaha I just started laughing so hard! I got our and then realized... Heavenly Father is a funny guy! Hahahah, I will send a pic of that too! 

I love you guys heaps! Hope this week is a good one for you all! Remember to please keep me in your prayers... it is definitely needed this week! LOVES YOUS!!!!!

SISTER BRAY

2 pics of train ish thing

here is a pic of me and sister hogge on our BIRTHDAY :) we had a lot of fun :)

Please enjoy our ghetto sign 

The other picture is something I want y'all to figure out... it is in the house of our investigators house... it’s hilarious! Philippines made for sure

here is the floor I fell through

Me this morning at the activity! Rocking my new fresh prince jacket :) HOLLER

Week 51

Hello errabody

So this week was cool. We worked most of the time around this one area. We found some relatives to a member. Most of them are kids. But hey, its sweet as. They are interested. 

Got to contact some LA's and I swear one of them is just like Dad. It was hilarious! I enjoyed that lesson, but then my companion started chastising... And I don’t get why she does that with everyone we meet. It ain't cool. Makes people not wanna change even more. Personal experience. So I am helping her with adjusting to mission life still. she’s still green. Started her mission in Angeles and then got called back to Tacloban. She is still learning, so hopefully she will get it. 

Some funny things that happened this week.... I cracked up while reading my scriptures two days ago... Elle, read this Mosiah 4:38... you will understand. Another thing, Catarman 2nd ward missionaries are now FIGHTERS... *cue the wrestling ring voice* In one corner wearing a yellow polo and tie... KESLER the WRESTLER! in the other corner standing below 3 feet LENOY the PINOY! In the other ring.... looking for the precious one... SMIGUEL! the other corner (yours truly) BRAY the CRAY! Hehehhe :) yup, we had a great FHE to say the least :)

This week on the 13th I hit my one year mark... It’s crazy! I can’t believe how fast it has flown by! I still feel like I am super new to the mission. Hahah, But it has been one great of year though! I LOVE IT!!!! :) I could not have asked for a greater blessing than that which I have received from serving the Lord. I hope you are all able to notice the blessings that the Lord gives you in your lives too. Because it is a great thing! Get closer to the Lord, there is no greater place! I promise! Hahah, I know that the true happiness that WE ALL seek is really with our Savior. Just like Joseph Smith said, "Happiness is the object and desire of our existence." IT"S TRUE! If we try and seek the good in life, we will find it with our Big Brother, Jesus Christ. I love you all Heaps and hope that this week is great one for y'all too!

SISTER BRAY..... the CRAY!